Volume One (Prequel): The Seventh Reader - Chapter 5: Devotion
Three months ago.
The intense summer sun blanketed the entire city. The dry wind blew gently, and cicadas in the trees were loudly chirping, causing an inexplicable feeling of irritation. It was now half past one in the afternoon, the hottest time of the day, and almost everyone was trying to stay in the shade. The deserted asphalt roads were softened by the sun, and occasionally, a few cars, either high-end or low-end, new or old, would speed by and quickly disappear, as if afraid of being scorched.
A boy hurriedly walked along the roadside, occasionally looking back. Sweat beaded on the tip of his nose, and his glasses kept sliding down. He wiped his forehead with the oversized sleeves of his shirt, which was not suitable for the season, and quickened his pace.
Arriving at the entrance of a residential area, the boy stopped, took off his glasses, wiped the sides of his nose with his fingers, put his glasses back on, and looked around. It was very quiet. A cart selling cold drinks was parked nearby, and the elderly woman selling cold drinks was dozing off. A listless dog lay at her feet, occasionally panting.
Convinced that no one was paying attention to him, the boy suddenly ran into a building. The sudden movement startled the little dog, which looked at the disappearing boy at the door, but soon lowered its head and lay quietly in the shade at its owner's feet.
The coolness in the corridor made the boy feel much better. He cautiously climbed up to the third floor and stopped in front of an iron door. He raised his hand to knock, but for some reason, he put his hand down. Holding his breath, he pressed his ear against the door and listened for a while before finally knocking.
A woman inside the room asked, "Who is it?"
The boy remained silent.
After a few seconds, the woman said gently, "Just open the door yourself."
The boy took out a key from his pocket and quietly opened the door, then swiftly darted inside.
It was a small one-bedroom apartment, sparsely furnished but tidy. Although it was noon, the windows were tightly closed, and the room was hot and dim. A woman who was half-lying on the bed struggled to sit up and smiled wearily at the boy.
"I knew it was you."
The boy remained silent, looking around the room.
"Don't bother looking. Xiaofan went to my sister's house and won't be back tonight."
The boy visibly relaxed, feeling the warmth in the room and breaking out in a sweat. He looked at the tightly closed windows and curtains, furrowing his brow.
Sensing the boy's discomfort, the woman pointed to an old-fashioned electric fan in the corner. "Turn it on and cool yourself off for a while."
The boy walked over and turned on the fan. The blades creaked as they started to rotate, swaying from side to side.
As the wind blew towards the woman, she shivered and pulled the quilt covering her up.
"Don't blow it at me. Aim it towards your side."
The boy turned the fan towards himself, pressed a button, and the fan immediately stopped swaying, directing the breeze towards him. He unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a lean but sturdy chest, and enjoyed the cool air.
The woman watched the boy in silence. After a while, she gently said, "Don't stay in the wind for too long. Be careful not to catch a cold."
The boy looked at the woman and asked, "How are you? Are you okay?"
The woman glared at the boy softly, lay back down, and turned her back to him.
Feeling a little awkward, the boy stood there, unsure of what to do.
The fan kept blowing, causing the boy's unbuttoned shirt to flutter.
After a while, the woman said softly, "Come here."
The boy walked to the edge of the bed, sat down, and put his hand on the woman's shoulder.
The woman remained silent, not turning around, but shifting in the bed to make room for him.
The boy took off his shoes and, after a moment of hesitation, placed them neatly by the door.
The boy lay down next to the woman, gently embracing her shoulders. The woman did not refuse, but instead shifted back, closed her eyes, and lay comfortably in the boy's arms.
There was a strange scent emanating from the woman. The boy used his other hand to stroke her hair, and his palm caressed her forehead from time to time. The woman gently held the boy's hand that was embracing her shoulder, and the two lay there in silence, only hearing the fan softly blowing into an empty corner.
The woman's hands were wrinkled, dry, and rough, and her fingers lightly touched the boy's healthy, dark skin, giving him a tingling sensation. The boy closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling. As the drowsiness of the afternoon gradually set in, he unknowingly fell asleep.
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In the evening, the boy suddenly woke up, sitting up abruptly, covered in sweat, and looked around anxiously. The woman had turned her body at some point, and she was pushed aside by the boy's sudden movement, whimpering in dissatisfaction.
"What are you afraid of? Xiaofan went to my sister's house and won't be back tonight."
The boy breathed a sigh of relief and lay back heavily.
The woman crawled gently onto the boy's chest, tracing her fingers lightly over his sweaty chest. The boy lowered his head and gently kissed the woman's forehead. At that moment, the woman heard the boy's stomach growling twice. She smiled.
"Are you hungry?"
The boy nodded.
"I'm a little hungry too. There's a chicken in the kitchen that I slaughtered this morning. Can you make chicken soup?"
The boy nodded again.
Pouting, the woman coquettishly said, "I want you to make it for me."
The boy kissed the woman's forehead again, jumped out of bed, and soon the kitchen was filled with the aroma of cooking.
The woman lay contentedly in bed, closing her eyes wearily.
In the evening, the boy and the woman had dinner together. The woman did not get up and half-lay in bed, while the boy fed her spoonfuls of chicken soup. Every time the woman swallowed, she looked at the boy affectionately. After drinking a bowl of soup and eating a few pieces of chicken, she lay back in bed and watched the boy devour the rest of the soup and chicken hungrily. Then, the two of them cuddled up to watch TV. The boy was completely engrossed in a action movie, while the woman was not interested in the program and occasionally looked at the boy tenderly.
Around 10 o'clock, the boy got up, dressed, and the woman still did not get up, silently watching the boy. The boy tied his shoes, sat on the edge of the bed, bent down, and kissed the woman on the lips. The woman immediately hugged the boy.
"Stay tonight. It'll just be the two of us."
The boy hesitated.
"Go early tomorrow morning, okay? Keep me company."
The boy nodded, took off his shoes and shirt again, hesitated, and then took off his pants, leaving only his underwear to slip into the woman's bed, then turned off the light.
In the darkness, the boy held the woman, his hand slipping into her clothes. The woman wasn't wearing a bra, and her skin was cool. The boy gently caressed the woman's abdomen, then reached up to grasp the slightly relaxed Rx room of the woman, gradually applying more pressure with his fingers, twisting her nipples, and kneading them forcefully.
The woman let out an uncontrollable moan and reached for the boy's already erect body.
The two entwined intimately, the boy's breathing becoming heavier, and the woman's moans growing louder. Suddenly, the boy released the woman's Rx room, quickly took off his underwear, and eagerly tried to remove the woman's pants. However, the woman suddenly came to her senses and forcefully held onto her pants.
"Not today!"
The boy, with his imposing erection, paid no heed and pushed aside the woman's hand, forcibly tearing at her pants. The woman struggled and kicked, pleading softly. The bed creaked as they struggled, and then, a slap resounded on the boy's face.
The boy was struck dumb, his hand stopping in mid-action, and he remained silent for a while. The woman regretted her actions, quickly got up and reached to touch the boy's face. But the boy ignored her hand, reaching for the woman's pants again. The woman hurriedly grabbed them.
"You heartless man, do you want to make me suffer?"
The boy's hand suddenly stopped, and after a while, he abruptly turned on the light. The woman covered her eyes with her hand, and the boy pulled down the woman's pants.
A strong smell of blood wafted into the air. The woman's lower body was covered in dark red blood, and the pad beneath her was soaked in red, while her pubic hair was matted together with dried blood.
The boy stared in shock.
The woman glared at the boy softly, slowly pulled up her pants, turned off the light, and pulled the boy back to lie beside her.
The boy lay stiffly next to the woman for a long time, then reached out to embrace her and gently stroked her hair. The woman obediently snuggled against the boy's chest.
"Why didn't you tell me?" the boy asked softly.
The woman raised her head from the boy's embrace, looking at him in astonishment.
"I did tell you. Didn't you see that letter?"
The boy's movements came to a sudden halt.